Dental appliance.



' J. GARTRELL. DENTAL APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1908.

Patented Ju ly 13,1909.

\ to plate 2 at 2 JULIAN GARLTRELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

' DENTAL APPLIANCE.

Specification Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application med. October 9, 1908. Serial No. 45am.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIAN GARTB'ELL, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Ap liances; and I ereby declare that the fol owing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel appliance to be used by dentists while operating upon the lower teeth of a atient.

The object of t e invention is to provide a very simple device which can be conveniently and com ortably positioned on the lower jaw of the atient, and by which absorbent cotton or ike material, can be held in position adjacent the teeth to be operated upon so as to keep such teeth dry by excluding saliva therefrom, and at the same time the tongue and cheek will be kept out of contactwith such teeth without discomfort to the atient, and without encumbering the mout or interfering with the free operation of any instruments which the dentist may wish to use in the treatment of such teeth The whole appliance can be looked after adjustment by a single set screw; and all the parts of the appliance can be easilyseparated or the purpose of cleansing and sterilizing them after use.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present preferred form of app iance embodyin the invention, which I will describe with re erence thereto, and from this specification and drawings any one skilled in the art will readily understand the method of applying the device to the patient and the utility thereof.

In said drawings-Figure 1 is a pore ective view of the appliance in one osition or use. Fig. 2 is a view thereof detao ed. Fig. 3 is a sectional view.

As shown the device comprises a chin piece 1, adapted to be placed under the lower jaw of the patient, attached to a rod 1 the other end of which is attached to a holder-plate 2, to which is connected a clamp-plate 3. "The plates may be adjustably connected in any desired or preferredmanner within the scope of the invention. As shown, plate-3 is hinged and can be locked to said plate by means of a thumb-screw 4 having a threaded portion 4 passing through a slot or perforation 3* in plate 3, at the side opposite the hinge 2 and enga ing a threaded perforation in plate 2, see ig. 3.

In the o posed-faces of the plates 2 and 3 are forme two globular sockets 5, half of each socket being formed in each plate; and in these sockets are confined balls 6 to each of which is attached a curved finger 6, the fingers passin through reamed holes 2 in the plate 2. hese balls may be formed on or attached to the fingers as preferred by the constructor. This construction forms a ball and socket joint between the fingers 6 and the holder plate, and obviously permits the fingers 6 to be adjusted to any desired position relative to each other and to the chiniece when the thumb-bolt 4 is loosened.

he fingers can be fixed in any ad'usted position by simply tightening the bolt 4 thereby causing plate 3 to cram the balls 6 tightly in the socket 5. In t is very simple manner the fingers 6 are rendered capable of a great variety of adjustments.

To facilitate adjustment of the fingers they are preferably formed with long return bends 6 intermediate their length, which enables the free ends of the fingers to be introduced into the mouth and below the teeth, and also serve as convenient handles for turning and ad'ustin the fingers. These bends 6 not only faci itate positioning of the points of the fingers but they also serve, when desired, as guards to keep the tongue and the lips and check of the patient away from the teeth being operated upon. The free ends of the fingers are preferably pointed as shown so that rolls 7 of absorbent material can be easily slipped on the parts of the fingers beyond the bends.

Each finger is independently adjustable,

and can be rotated on its own axis in any position to which they are adjusted, so that the points of the fingers can be entered in the patients mouth and adjusted to and held in any desired position therein, so as to keep the absorbent material exactly and firmly where desired by the operator.

The device is very simple; it is capable-of easy adjlustment so as to hold the absorbent materia in any position desired against the lower teeth; it is very light and comfortable to the patient; and hygenic. In use the chin-piece and fingers practically take the same positions that would be taken by the thumb and fingers of a dentists hand when operating in the usual manner; but this appliance is far more comfortable and less reulsive to the patient, and leaves the dentist lree to use both hands in operating on the teeth.

When the appliance is in use as indicated in Fig. 1 it is held in position vertically by the slight clamping of the jaw between the chinpiece and the fingers; and it is kept from shifting laterally by the contact of the ab-E sorbent material on the ends of the fingers with the opposite sides of the gum or teeth.

One of the advantageous features of the present appliance is its capability of use on either side of the jaw without any transposition of parts or change in the manner of attaching or securing them; this adaptability increases the utility and convenience of the ap liance.

ile particularly designed for use in dental operations the appliance is also useful in oral surgery and in treatment of the mouth and tongue. I

After an operation the appliance can be easily taken all apart by simply removing the one screw, and each piece can be separately sterilized and cleansed, so that all danger of contagion or infection is obviated.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon is:

1. In combination a holder plate, a'chinpiece connected therewith, and fingers adustably connected to the holder plate by ball and socket joints.

2. Ina dental appliance the combination.

of a pair of plates having recesses in their opposed faces, means for clamping the plates,

alls confined in the recesses, and fingers connected to said balls.

3; In a dental ap liance the combination of a pair of plates aving recesses in their op osed faces, balls in the recesses, adjusta e fingers connected to said balls, a chinpiece connected with said plate, and means or causing the plates to cram the balls to lock the fingers in adjusted position.

4. A dental appliance com rising a pair of holder plates having globular recesses on 1 their opposed faces, a chm-piece connected to one of said plates and balls confined in said recesses, fingers connected to said balls and rojecting through apertures in one of the p lates, and means for causing the plates to cramp the balls to hold the fingers in adj usted position.

5. The combination of a holder plate, a chin-piece connected therewith, a clampplate connected to the holder plate, and a pair of adjustable fingers connected with said plates said fingers having cheek distending return bends intermediate their length.

6. The combination of a holder late, a chin-piece connected therewith, a c am ing plate connected to the holder plate, alls confined in recesses between said plates, and adjustable fingers connected with said balls, substantially as described.

7. In a dental appliance the combination of a holder plate, a pair of similar fingers con nected thereto by universal joints and adapted to engage opposite sides of a tooth,'and means for clamping the fingers in any adj usted position.

8. In combination a holder plate, a chinpiece connected therewith, a pair of similar curved fingers connected to said plate by universal joints and adapted to be adjusted on opposite sides of a tooth, and means for locking the fingers when adjusted.

9. In a dental appliance the combination of a recessed holder plate, a chin-piece and a pair of adjustable fingers confined in the recesses of said plate, said fingers having cheek-distending return bends intermediate their length.

10. In a dental appliance the combination of a holder plate, a chjniece, and fingers adjustably connected wit said plate, said fingers having return bends intermediate their lengthto distend the cheeks, and means for clamping the fingers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIAN GARTRELL. Witnesses:

JonN L. FLETCHER, JAMES R. MANSFIELD. 

